Wednesday's report, which assesses hospitals' performances between July and September, also shows people were seen faster at emergency departments and spent less time being treated.

Most patients, about 80 per cent, were transferred from ambulance to the emergency department within 30 minutes.

But despite the improvements, hospitals across the state trail their emergency department efficiency target by six per cent.

The National Emergency Access Target (NEAT), which measures the ratio of patients leaving the emergency department within four hours, is seven per cent better than last year but at 65 per cent, falls short of the 71 per cent yearly target.

"Our report also shows that large hospitals with a high volume of patients have more difficulty meeting the NEAT target due to the higher urgency and number of patients," Mr Browne said.